The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) on Tuesday said its records, particularly suspicious transaction reports (STRs), do not by themselves prove illegal activity, as they still require further analysis and investigation to establish whether any wrongdoing actually took place.
AMLC secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura clarified the matter during the 34th day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial while being questioned by defense counsel Atty. Mark Vinluan.
In his cross-examination, Vinluan asked whether STRs alone can prove the veracity of Duterte’s suspicious transactions-revealed on Monday-particularly whether they were truly connected to the flood control scandal, drug trafficking, or malversation of public funds and property.
‘We have to conduct pa po (we still need to conduct) analysis and investigation, if warranted,’ responded Buenaventura.
‘Not alone, we have to conduct further investigation if needed or warranted,’ he added.
This, said Buenaventura, also applies to the covered transaction reports (CTRs) and STRs of corporations linked to the vice president and her husband, Maneses Carpio, and whether these meant they committed money laundering.
‘On the basis of the CTRs and STRs alone, not at that point,’ the AMLC executive said.
To recall, AMLC on Monday disclosed several transactions by Duterte and her spouse Maneses Carpio flagged for allegedly being related to the flood control scandal, as well as drug trafficking and other related offenses.
STRs refer to reports filed by covered institutions on transactions that exhibit specific red flags or irregularities under the Anti-Money Laundering Act-regardless of the amount involved.
Among the STRs revealed during the trial were premium payments made to The Mercantile Insurance Co. on July 4, 2019, and Nov. 15, 2019, which were reported due to alleged graft and corrupt practices amid its supposed connection to the flood control scandal.
Another STR, dated August 1, 2024, linked Duterte’s husband Carpio to drug trafficking, particularly PSBank accounts under him which were flagged following criminal complaints tied to a 2017 P6.4B shabu smuggling case.